One of the things Pope Francis has said that I have always appreciated is, “God has a sense of humor.” That has certainly been evident throughout my life. There has often been my plan and God’s plan … with the latter always prevailing!

I grew up the fourth of six children in Hospers, Iowa (population about 700). My early life was inspired by the strong witness of my parents, who took very seriously their responsibility as the first and best teachers of the faith. They never had much money —Dad ran a filling station and Mom stayed home with the children—but they attended Mass faithfully, prayed regularly, and were always ready to help the pastor or religious sisters at St. Anthony of Padua parish in any way they could. Mom and Dad radiated the joy found in serving others.

Every boy at St. Anthony, all 30 of us, served at Mass starting in 3rd grade. This was back when the altar servers had to learn the responses in Latin, something that did not come easily to me. With the help of my older brother, however, I mastered it. When I was in 5th grade, several parishioners asked me, “Have you ever considered the priesthood?” Naturally, I dismissed the idea … but the seed was planted. In 8th grade, my pastor wanted me to attend a high school seminary, but this would have meant moving away from home, which I was not ready to do. However, his example of humble servant leadership made a lasting impression on me.

While both my parents were faithful Catholics, my mother was a particularly holy woman. She was born and raised in Hospers, had a strong devotion to St. Anthony (a gift she passed on to me), and prayed the Rosary daily. In May and October, we would pray the Rosary every day as a family. Unfortunately, this habit tended to fall off as we children reached high school age. I remember coming home one October evening my freshman year and seeing Mom praying the Rosary alone. She was weeping. It cut me to the core.

Following my mother’s example, I began praying the Rosary daily as a sophomore. By my junior year, the idea of the priesthood resurfaced with every Rosary. I knew that the question of whether or not this was my true vocation could only be resolved through deeper discernment, so I decided to enroll at Loras College, a Catholic college in Dubuque with a seminary. My mother knew of my plans, but I had not fully informed my father. Dad was something of a “town crier”—he tended to spread news very quickly at his service station and breaks at the coffee shop—and I did not want everyone in Hospers asking me about the priesthood. The day Dad found out that I was entering the college seminary was the day he and Mom dropped me off at Loras.

Within two months of college seminary, I was confident that I was called by God to be a priest. Everything about it resonated with me, and I felt a great sense of joy and relief to know that I was on the right path. And what a path it has been! I had always envisioned myself as pastor of a country parish in Iowa, teaching the faith, administering the sacraments, visiting the sick, and accompanying my parishioners through the peaks and valleys of life. But my plan was not God’s plan. My priesthood has taken a completely different direction, from graduate studies in Rome and Washington, D.C., to roles at the Apostolic Nunciature and U.S. Bishops’ Conference, to working closely with Pope St. John Paul II on World Youth Day 1993 and, finally, to serving as Bishop of Duluth and Archbishop of Cincinnati.

This July, I will celebrate 51 years as a priest. While it has not been what I expected, I would do it all over again. I have found the priesthood spiritually rewarding, deeply interesting, and even exciting. Being open to God’s plan has led me to a fuller life than I ever could have imagined.